best analytics tools for shopify
Running a Shopify store without analytics is like navigating without a map. To grow your store and increase sales, you need tools that turn raw data into actionable insights. Here are five analytics tools that can help you do just that:
- Shopify Analytics: Built into Shopify, it provides real-time insights and reports tailored for e-commerce. Best for quick, daily updates.
- Glew.io: Combines Shopify data with external platforms for deeper insights like customer lifetime value and trends.
- Prisync: Focuses on competitive pricing analysis, helping you stay ahead in the market.
- Clean Commit: A service that prioritizes improving conversion rates through data-driven strategies and A/B testing.
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Offers detailed, event-based tracking for customer behavior and site performance, ideal for advanced analysis.
Quick Comparison:
| Tool | Integration | Learning Curve | Data Depth | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Analytics | Native | Easy | Basic | Free (with plan) | Quick daily insights |
| Glew.io | Third-party | Moderate | Advanced | Paid | Profit and trend analysis |
| Prisync | Third-party | Easy | Specialized | Paid | Competitive pricing strategies |
| Clean Commit | Service-based | Minimal | Action-focused | $6,000/month | Conversion optimization |
| Google Analytics | Setup required | Steep | Comprehensive | Free | Detailed behavior analysis |
Each tool serves a specific purpose, and combining them can maximize your store's growth potential. Choose the one(s) that align with your business goals and budget.
Shopify & Google Analytics 4 | Everything You Need To Know
1. Shopify Analytics
Shopify Analytics comes built into your store right from the start, providing real-time insights without the hassle of complicated setups. It’s designed to make tracking your store’s performance straightforward, thanks to its pre-built reports tailored specifically for e-commerce.
Integration with Shopify
Since Shopify Analytics is native to the platform, it integrates effortlessly with your store. The tracking code operates as first-party from your domain, making it less likely to be blocked by ad blockers. The dashboard is also fully customizable, allowing you to rearrange widgets to focus on metrics like daily sales, customer acquisition, and product performance.
Reporting Depth
The level of reporting available depends on your Shopify subscription. The Live View feature offers a real-time look at store activity, showing you current visitors, their locations, actions, and live sales. You can also tweak pre-built reports or create custom ones by adding specific metrics and dimensions for a more detailed analysis. Keep in mind that data is only retained for 13 months unless you export it manually.
Conversion Optimization Features
Shopify Analytics zeroes in on metrics that matter most for online retailers. It tracks key data points like gross sales, returning customer rates, fulfilled orders, and average order value. These insights help pinpoint where customers drop off in the sales funnel and reveal patterns in customer behavior, such as the ratio of new to returning customers, lifetime value, and purchase frequency. This information can be used to fine-tune your marketing strategies.
Pricing
Shopify Analytics features vary widely across subscription plans, with higher tiers offering more advanced tools:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Key Analytics Features |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | Basic Overview Dashboard only; limited analytics capabilities |
| Basic | $39 | Standard Dashboard, Finance Reports, Product Analytics, Live View |
| Shopify (Grow) | $105 | All Basic features plus Detailed Sales, Customer & Marketing Reports |
| Advanced | $399 | All previous features plus Custom Reports & Advanced Filtering |
| Plus | Custom pricing | Full analytics suite with advanced features |
The core analytics dashboard is included with all plans starting from the Basic plan ($39/month), while the Starter plan offers only minimal analytics. For more robust tools, upgrading to higher-tier plans comes with a noticeable increase in subscription costs.
U.S. Localization
Shopify Analytics is tailored for U.S. merchants, automatically formatting data to match American standards. Currency is displayed in dollars ($), dates follow the MM/DD/YYYY format, and numbers include commas for thousands. The system also adjusts reporting to U.S. time zones, making it easier for merchants to interpret their data without extra effort.
These features lay the groundwork for exploring more advanced analytics tools in upcoming sections.
2. Glew.io
Glew.io is a third-party analytics platform that brings Shopify data together with external sources, creating a unified dashboard that offers a complete view of your business performance.
Integration with Shopify
Getting started with Glew.io is straightforward. After signing up, you simply select Shopify as your data source, install the app from the Shopify App Store, configure your sync preferences, and let the platform automatically import your data.
The platform consolidates Shopify data alongside information from tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Ads. This means you can track how your social media efforts are driving Shopify sales - all in one place. Shopify data updates hourly, while customer and inventory data refresh nightly. If you're on a Glew Plus plan, you can even customize how often your data refreshes.
Glew.io also pulls in unlimited historical data from all connected sources. This feature is especially useful for analyzing long-term trends or comparing performance across different periods. By centralizing all this data, Glew.io sets the stage for more in-depth analysis through its advanced reporting tools.
Reporting Depth
Glew.io doesn’t just skim the surface - it dives deep. Using its own data warehouse and built-in business intelligence tools, it eliminates the need for third-party exports. This approach provides richer insights without the hassle of juggling multiple systems.
The platform offers advanced reporting features, including customer segmentation, product performance analysis, and financial reporting that go far beyond Shopify’s standard analytics. You can create custom reports tailored to your business needs and access historical comparisons to spot seasonal patterns or growth opportunities.
Conversion Optimization Features
One of Glew.io’s strengths is its ability to help Shopify store owners identify ways to boost conversion rates. By leveraging detailed customer segmentation, you can uncover buyer personas and better understand purchasing behaviors. The platform also tracks metrics like customer lifetime value, highlights your most profitable products, and reveals trends that might not be obvious with basic analytics.
With automated reporting, you no longer need to spend hours compiling data from various platforms. Instead, you can focus on analyzing insights and making meaningful improvements to your store.
"Glew is an amazing analytics aggregation service that allows you to view your data in one location. It has way better searching and filtering abilities than BigCommerce or the other services we have connected to it. Making a custom report and viewing any data you want is super easy. The Daily Snapshot email is extremely helpful." - Kyle Wells, IT Manager, Bulk Apothecary
U.S. Localization
Glew.io is designed with American businesses in mind. It automatically formats financial data in dollars ($), uses the MM/DD/YYYY date format, and displays numbers with proper comma separators for thousands. Reports also align with U.S. time zones, making it effortless for merchants in the U.S. to interpret their data without any extra adjustments.
3. Prisync
Prisync connects seamlessly with Shopify through a simple installation from the Shopify App Store. Once set up and linked to your product catalog, it automatically imports your product listings and pricing details. This smooth integration provides a solid starting point for accurate pricing strategies and valuable competitive insights, helping to boost your store's overall performance.
4. Clean Commit
Clean Commit takes a distinctive approach to Shopify optimization by combining analytics with proven conversion strategies. Unlike tools that focus on dashboards and data reporting, this specialized CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) agency prioritizes turning visitors into paying customers. Acting as an extension of your team, they focus on driving measurable results.
Integration with Shopify
Clean Commit goes beyond basic Shopify integrations by offering custom development and strategic partnerships. As certified Shopify specialists, they create Shopify 2.0 themes and leverage technologies like Liquid, JavaScript, and API integrations. Their expertise extends to working with popular Shopify plugins, including Klevu, Nosto, Klaviyo, Reviews.io, and Gorgias. This allows them to tap into existing data sources to craft precise optimization strategies directly within your Shopify store. This deep integration supports their transparent approach to reporting and results.
Reporting Depth
Transparency is at the core of Clean Commit's operations. Instead of traditional dashboards, they offer full access to shared task boards and project management systems. This approach ensures clients have complete visibility into project progress, analytics, and internal processes.
"Results, analytics and even our internal task management are all shared with your team so there's no black boxes."
– Clean Commit
Conversion Optimization Features
Clean Commit relies entirely on data-driven methods, leaving guesswork behind. Their process begins with in-depth CRO audits to identify roadblocks in the conversion process. From there, they craft tailored 90-day conversion roadmaps designed to address each business's unique needs.
"Say goodbye to gut feel and hello to cold, hard data. Leverage data and scientific testing to ensure the only changes your website receives are ones that will move the bottom line in the right direction."
– Clean Commit
They conduct A/B and multivariate tests on key elements like headlines, CTAs, and layouts, aiming to deliver a 4× return on investment. On average, clients see an 8.5% boost in conversion rates within the first month, while Clean Commit has maintained a 95% client retention rate over three years.
One standout example is their work with American Fishing & Tackle Company (AFTCO). By implementing 25 winning changes, AFTCO achieved a record-high conversion rate of 4.92%, a 31% experimentation success rate, and a 12× return on investment.
"The Clean Commit team was able to find us a better financial solution to make the project a lot more cost-effective. They've been great with communication and have done a tremendous job in getting our site to gain speed and increase conversions."
– Mike Obedoza, American Fishing & Tackle Company
These results highlight Clean Commit's focus on measurable outcomes, setting them apart in the CRO space.
Pricing
Clean Commit offers a straightforward pricing model at $6,000 per month, which covers design, development, management, and reporting. With no hidden fees, profit-sharing, or long-term contracts, businesses are free to evaluate performance on a month-to-month basis.
For new clients, they provide a 30-day free trial that includes up to three experiments or offer low-cost test projects to demonstrate ROI before a full commitment. Their promise? To transform websites - from design to launch - within 80 days, including the creation of custom Shopify 2.0 themes. This rapid turnaround makes them an appealing choice for businesses looking to quickly enhance their conversion rates.
5. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a leading tool for web analytics, offering a detailed look at customer behavior and site performance through an event-based tracking model. The latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), records every user interaction as an individual "event" - whether it’s a page load, a click, or a video view. This approach provides more precise data compared to earlier versions.
Integration with Shopify
Connecting Google Analytics to Shopify is straightforward. Start by installing the free Google & YouTube sales channel in your Shopify store. Next, create a GA4 property in your Google Analytics account and add the provided Tag ID to complete the integration. Keep in mind, your store must be live for event tracking to work.
Important: Google Analytics won’t begin tracking events until you remove password protection from your online store.
Once everything is set up, Google Analytics starts collecting detailed ecommerce data, which can be analyzed using its robust reporting tools.
Reporting Capabilities
Google Analytics offers a wealth of data across key areas like acquisition, engagement, monetization, retention, and real-time activity. It automatically tracks vital ecommerce events using a structured system of Accounts, Properties, and Data Streams.
For Shopify stores, the platform automatically logs key actions such as page views, search queries, product views, add-to-cart actions, checkout initiations, payment info submissions, and completed purchases. This eliminates the need for manual tracking of standard ecommerce metrics.
Real-time reporting provides instant insights into site activity, accessible through the "Realtime overview" report. For troubleshooting or verifying your setup, the Google Tag Assistant Chrome extension can help identify and resolve potential issues.
Daniel Patricio, the owner of Bull & Cleaver, shares how he uses analytics to improve his business:
"I find Google Analytics is great for modeling visitor behaviors, whereas Shopify Reports is what I use for analyzing our sell-through rates and merchandising mix of our products. Together, the two help us optimize our website and our product mix on it."
Conversion Insights
Google Analytics provides the data foundation needed for conversion optimization, though it doesn’t include tools for direct optimization. GA4’s event tracking pinpoints where customers drop off and maps the entire customer journey without session breaks. You can also extend the default two-month data retention period to 14 months for a more comprehensive long-term view.
This level of insight makes it easier to spot opportunities for improvement throughout the sales funnel.
Neil Hoyne, Google's Chief Strategist, highlights a common challenge with analytics:
"When we capture data, we often don't do it with an intention of what we're going to do after that data comes back."
This underscores the importance of having clear goals before diving into the wealth of data Google Analytics provides.
Cost
One of the best things about Google Analytics is that it’s completely free. There are no restrictions on the amount of data you can collect, making it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes - from small Shopify startups to large enterprises. You won’t have to worry about hitting usage limits or paying for premium features.
U.S. Localization
For U.S.-based Shopify merchants, Google Analytics automatically adjusts to local standards. It displays currency in dollars ($), uses the MM/DD/YYYY date format, and applies imperial measurements when relevant. The interface is in English and follows American spelling conventions, ensuring a smooth experience for users in the United States.
Pros and Cons
After diving into the features of each tool, it’s important to weigh their strengths and limitations. Every analytics tool brings something different to the table for Shopify store owners. Understanding these trade-offs can help you pick the right mix based on your business goals and technical know-how.
Shopify Analytics stands out for its seamless integration and user-friendly interface. It’s perfect for store owners who want quick, real-time insights without dealing with complicated setups. You can easily track order data and traffic patterns. However, this simplicity comes with some downsides: the reporting lacks depth for advanced analysis and offers limited options for customization and segmentation.
Google Analytics 4 delivers detailed, customizable data for free. It tracks user interactions as individual events, offering granular insights into customer behavior. While this level of detail is incredibly powerful, it does come with challenges. Setting it up requires some expertise, and data can take up to 48 hours to stabilize. On G2, Google Analytics scores 4.5 out of 5 stars, reflecting both its strengths and the complexity that comes with them.
Specialized tools bring extra capabilities like profit analysis, advanced segmentation, and conversion optimization. Many of these tools leverage AI to provide actionable insights or consolidate data from multiple sources. For example, Clean Commit not only provides analytics but also integrates actionable CRO strategies, helping you turn insights into revenue growth. The trade-off? These tools often come with monthly subscription fees and require time to learn the platform.
Many successful merchants use a combination of tools. For instance, they might rely on Shopify Analytics for quick daily updates, use Google Analytics for deeper behavioral analysis, and add specialized solutions for more targeted needs.
Choosing the right analytics setup can have a huge impact on your business. Companies that effectively use customer behavior data to drive decisions see 85% higher sales growth and achieve gross margins that are more than 25% higher than their competitors.
Here’s a quick comparison of the key features for each tool:
| Tool | Integration | Learning Curve | Data Depth | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Analytics | Native | Easy | Basic | Free | Quick daily insights |
| Google Analytics | Setup required | Steep | Comprehensive | Free | Detailed behavior analysis |
| Glew.io | Third-party | Moderate | Advanced | Paid | Profit and LTV analysis |
| Prisync | Third-party | Easy | Specialized | Paid | Competitor price tracking |
| Clean Commit | Service-based | Minimal | Action-focused | $6,000/month | Conversion optimization |
Some tools also offer features like cookieless tracking and built-in GDPR compliance, ensuring accurate data even when users have ad blockers enabled.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on your business needs and goals.
Conclusion
Selecting the right analytics tool for your Shopify store means aligning your store's needs, budget, and growth stage with proven tools that can help improve performance. Did you know that 56% of Shopify stores are based in the U.S., and the platform commands around 30% of the U.S. e-commerce software market share? That’s a significant chunk of the market to tap into.
Your choice of analytics tools should match both your revenue and strategic goals. For example, with the average Shopify store earning approximately $67,000 annually, it’s essential to pick tools that can grow alongside your business. For straightforward reporting and daily insights, Shopify Analytics and Google Analytics are great starting points. As your store scales, you’ll likely need more specialized tools that offer deeper customer insights and actionable recommendations. Regularly analyzing your data ensures you’re always improving conversions, making analytics a key driver of growth as your store evolves.
Data-driven decisions can make a huge difference. Some businesses have managed to cut marketing costs by up to 40% while boosting ROI by leveraging enriched data. This happens by understanding customer behavior, pinpointing conversion roadblocks, and optimizing strategies based on real-world performance data.
It’s not just about budgets and growth - smooth integration with your existing tools is critical for keeping operations efficient. Make sure your analytics platform works seamlessly with your current marketing stack, including ad platforms and email software.
Think long-term when choosing your tools. Opt for platforms that can grow with your business and provide insights into key metrics like customer lifetime value and churn prediction. With over 50% of Shopify stores seeing repeat purchases, focusing on customer retention and relationship analytics is more important than ever.
Each analytics tool has its strengths, whether you’re looking for quick insights or advanced optimization capabilities. Start with what fits your current stage and goals, and scale up your analytics as your business grows to unlock better performance and higher profitability.
FAQs
How can I choose the right analytics tool for my Shopify store based on my goals and budget?
Choosing the best analytics tool for your Shopify store starts with a clear understanding of your business goals. Focus on tools that provide insights into sales trends, customer behavior, and marketing performance to ensure they match what you need to grow and improve.
Budget is another key factor. Shopify’s built-in analytics comes with all plans, but third-party tools can cost anywhere from free to $299 per month. Take a close look at what you can afford, but also make sure the tool delivers the features and insights that justify its price.
Lastly, opt for tools that can grow with your business and provide a broad range of insights. This way, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions and set your store up for long-term success.
What are the benefits of using third-party analytics tools like Glew.io with Shopify, and how do they improve your store's data analysis?
Using third-party analytics tools such as Glew.io alongside Shopify can be a game-changer for your store. These tools bring together data from various sources into one centralized platform, making it much simpler to understand customer behavior, monitor sales trends, and evaluate how well your marketing efforts are performing. This streamlined approach helps you make smarter, data-backed decisions for your business.
What makes these tools so effective? They provide features like real-time reporting, advanced customer segmentation, and insights you can act on immediately. With these capabilities, you can fine-tune your strategies, boost conversions, and drive your store’s growth - all while working more efficiently.
Why should I use multiple analytics tools to better understand my Shopify store's performance?
Using a variety of analytics tools gives you a broader understanding of how your Shopify store is performing. Each tool brings something different to the table - some are great for analyzing website traffic and visitor behavior, while others excel at showing sales trends, product performance, or customer activity.
By pulling insights from multiple sources, you can identify new opportunities for growth, monitor important metrics, and make smarter, data-backed decisions. This way, you're not limited to just one viewpoint, allowing you to fine-tune your store for even better outcomes.
